Tomatillo and Black Bean Salsa with Avocado, Lime, and Cilantro

Tomatillo and Black Bean Salsa with Avocado, Lime, and Cilantro is delicious and easy to make, and if you’re growing tomatillos this is a fun way to use them. Use Appetizers to find more recipes like this one!

This year I planted tomatillos in my garden, and although I vaguely remember growing them once before, it’s definitely a plant I’m not very familiar with. For a month now my plants have been loaded with tomatillos, but I had no idea how to tell when they were ready to pick. Then I figured out (duh!) that when they fill out the papery husk or split it open, they’re ready.

If you haven’t eaten tomatillos, some people compare them to green tomatoes, although I think there’s definitely a more tart, citrus flavor to tomatillos. They’re an essential ingredient in many Mexican dishes, especially Chile Verde, which is one dish I had in mind when I planted them. I haven’t made that yet, but this salsa with tomatillos, black beans, avocado, lime, and cilantro was a good way to put a few of the tomatillos to use.

I served this as a sauce for Wild Salmon Roasted in Olive Oil but you could eat it with chips or as a side dish too. Tomatillos also come in a can, but I would probably look for fresh tomatillos to make the salsa.

Here’s an example of some tomatillos that are definitely ready to use You can also pick them when the papery husk feels full, even if they haven’t started to split open.

I cut the tomatillos in crosswise slices, then lenghtwise slices, then chopped those to get same-size pieces for the salsa.

Notes:

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This is a good side dish for any low-glycemic, including any phase of the South Beach Diet. the black beans probably make it too high in carb for low-carb diets.

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